Caleb’s POV

“Caleb, what do we need?” Jason and Caleb were sitting in the room that the two had rented at an inn outside of the guild. The guild didn’t have any rooms with two beds so they had to find different accommodations. Their first day when Caleb had fainted Jason had taken him back to the city and let him sleep it off. Then the next day before Caleb could even argue with him Jason had him he was now a part of his party.

Caleb had had mixed feelings about the entire thing. His parents had been adventurers and had both been a part of the Outcast’s Resort. The last he saw of them they were going to try and breakthrough the level 50 bottleneck. He was already fifteen by then. It was four years ago. Once he turned sixteen, which was the minimum age required to join Outcast’s Resort, he joined. At that time he didn’t have the system or anything. It was only after one year the guild took him and the other initiates to a small dungeon they had that was located a few weeks outside the city.

That was the farthest he’d ever been from the city. The dungeon wasn’t a secret, but it was tacitly accepted that it belonged to Outcast’s Resort as they were the ones who had found it generations and generations ago.

The dungeon was only a low level dungeon with a mana saturation fit for up to level 24. As the monsters were all killed by the senior guild members the initiates were made to sit in the most mana saturated part of the dungeon and they were starved. The absence of food and water would allow mana to saturate the body easier.

It took an average of a week straight of sitting there only being fed and watered the minimum but most of the initiates had overcome the initial bottleneck and accessed the system. There were a few though. Caleb remembered. That died in the process. They were those that had absorbed the mana and gotten access to the system in the first two or three days. The initiates didn’t notice, but Caleb was told that the older guild members knew those people were doomed.

They said that they were immediately able to access the system and took in too much mana too fast. The people who absorbed too much mana didn’t give their body time to adapt. They just got filled to the brim, achieved minimum requirements and then died overnight. Their body killed itself.

Ever since he was initiated into the system he had wanted a party. He had wanted to go on a journey with someone that he could see himself creating a lifelong bond with.

So when Jason said he was in his party he was ecstatic, but he was also hesitant. He didn’t know Jason’s name at the time, believed he was a crazed barbarian, and was practically forced into being in the party. All of those didn’t make Caleb feel great about the situation.

Now though he felt comfortable and happy. Which is why he and Jason were now using the majority of their money to buy new supplies so that they could start their adventure. Initially when Jason had brought up leaving the city and going into the wild to try and find a therianthrope cities Caleb had been more than a little concerned.

Firstly, they had two people and the usual party was five. Jason had assured him that while they wouldn’t have five there would be more than just the two of them which made Caleb feel a lot better as that meant they would probably be a group of four. After that short conversation Caleb was extremely confused at why he wanted to go to a therianthrope settlement. A new dungeon to level up and breakthrough in was the usual reason to leave your home and journey. All Jason had said was that it was personal, but that they would obviously be trying to find dungeons along the way to hone their skills and to breakthrough.

Caleb had zero complaints after that and started to make a list of things they would need. That’s what brought him and Jason into the marketplace with all the shop owners yelling and calling out to them to buy buy buy.

“We need a new b-bow and new arrows for me. Mine only do 150 da-damage and with my skills they do 600 damage usually and s-some-sometimes 750 if the arrow hits a weak point. Com-compared to your 240 damage with just your fists it’s not gr-great. Since you're the ta-t-tank.” Caleb’s stutter was still there but it was noticeably better.

Jason rubbed his scraggly beard at that and nodded his head causing the wolf head to flop up and down. He took out five gold coins and handed them to Caleb. All Caleb could do was stare. Take them you fool. We could get a new bow, armour, some arrows, a good knife, and still have a gold left over. Caleb ignored Braedon.

“That’s a th-third of our entire savings, Jas-Jason.” Jason looked down at the five coins. Then back up at Caleb

“Ya I know…” Caleb stood there dumbfounded as Jason just stared at him. “Well what’re you waiting for? Go buy things. I’ll get tents and some other stuff.” Jason shoved the coins into Caleb’s hands to Braedon’s joy and then without a word turned around and started to explore the items in the marketplace. Head whipping around every which way and yet somehow not seeing the disgusted looks sent towards him.

What the hell. We just got five gold like that. We can use it on anything we want as well. You’re starting to use ‘we’ Caleb. Eventually you might learn to like me. Shut it you insane person. All you want to do is kill stronger and stronger prey. Which is why the savage would be such a joy to hunt. No. Eventually dear Caleb. Eventually. Oh shut up.

Ignoring Braedon’s ranting Caleb looked turned to where he knew the armaments shop was and started walking. Planning in his head with Braedon, who had finally stopped spewing nonsense, about how they were going to use the money.

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Jason’s POV

Jason had eleven pieces of gold in his pocket which should be enough for him to buy everything he needed. His eyes naturally and immediately gave him all the basic and initial information on every item he saw. As long as it didn’t contain a higher density of mana.

He walked along the roads of the marketplace scratching his beard. Inspecting all the stalls. There were stalls for food, monster parts, books, clothes, satchels, and pretty much any basic item one could think of. What Jason wanted though was the enchanted items. The staves, wands, clothes, and the enchanted accessories.

It took awhile for him to find the proper shop as it was in the complete opposite direction of where he walked. Arms and Armaments was the name of the shop. In Common it didn’t have quite the same ring to it as the two words started with vastly different sounding syllables. Or maybe it was a popular saying in this world as well it’s just that Jason couldn’t appreciate the finer points of the language. Both options had equal possibility.

When he walked in he saw that Caleb was already there. The archer had gotten himself a new recurve bow. I know it’s recurve now. Haha. A fancy looking quiver that was full of new arrows. The reason Jason knew they were new is because they had red feather fletchings that were reminiscent of the monster owls he and Caleb had hunted occasionally. Caleb used to have basic black fletchings that came from the common raven.

He had also gotten himself a serrated knife, basic hunting knife, and a carving knife. Probably in case he had to make arrows on the fly. He seemed to be trying to haggle down the price of a full set of leather armour with the shopkeeper. He’s probably better at that than I am. I’ll leave that to him.

Instead Jason went around the shop and collected what he needed. A staff, three robes, leather armour that was advertised to go underneath robes and other light clothing, and a golden pendant which was enchanted with spatial properties.

Bane of Life (Type: Weapon)

Passively increases all effects of any poison related skill by 200%

Rejuvenating Robe (Type: Clothing)

Passively increases mana regen by 200%

Spatial Pendant (Type: Accessory[Necklace])

Let’s the user store any item they can fit in a three by three meter hole Costs 25 mana per each use

It took him a few minutes to pick out everything and get to the shop clerk. He looked over to his side and saw that Caleb was still haggling with the shopkeeper. Damn he wants to cut that price in half. Whatever… he’ll either buy it or not. Turning to the clerk he laid out the items he had picked out. As the clerk looked at him their expression changed rapidly and settled into a friendly smile.

I was a retail worker once too. You can’t trick me. I could see the look of disgust. Contrary to what Selene and Caleb thought Jason knew how people looked at him. He just didn’t care. Almost dying in a cave and then spending months with a dwarf in the woods would do that to you.

“Hello sir welcome to the Arms and Armaments. The leather armor will be fifty silver, the staff will be three gold and seventy-five silver, the robes will be a combined total of two gold, and the spatial pendant will be seven gold. A total of thirteen gold and twenty-five silver sir” The clerk kept a smile on his face as he listed off the items and the cost to Jason. Well shit. Just looking at the gold will mean I can’t afford everything. I also have to buy tents and bedrolls so I need at least ten silver for those. I have eleven gold and considering the tents I really have ten gold and ninety silver. Jason mumbled under his breath tugging a tad hard on his beard. The pendant and staff are necessary. Actually… I don’t know if the staff is necessary.

It does boost poison damage by 200% but at the same time Selene will really need armour and more than just her black dresses. Aargh… fuck it I don’t need the staff. Jason without a word took the staff and placed it to the side of the counter then brought out ten gold coins and gave them to the clerk. The clerk nodded and accepted the coins while his smile got bigger. Then the clerk gave him back fifty silver as change. Jason put on the spatial pendant.

Would you like to activate the spatial pendant?

Yes.

Would you like to see notifications every time?

No that’d be annoying. Once Jason had activated the spatial pendant fully he could feel a three meter by three meter hole in the necklace. It just felt like nothing. A place that should just be a black hole. To not let his mana go to waste Jason tried to store the leather armour. It disappeared from the counter and appeared inside the black void. The pendant then deactivated.

Jason had just enough mana to do that three more times before he ran out of mana. He stored the three robes and then thanked the clerk and left. He heard the clerk yelling at him to put the staff back, but he just ignored him and acted like he was the dumb barbarian he was assumed to be. From how big that clerk’s damn smile was I just got robbed. So he can at least pick up his own staff. If only I knew the damn market prices. I should’ve at least studied economics for a little bit in college. Maybe I would’ve been a bit better prepared.

Jason took his one gold and fifty silver and started exploring the marketplace once more trying to find a basic bedroll and tent. Jason looked at the money he had left, sighing. After this we won’t have any money left. Then we’ll really have to live in the woods. Jason smiled at that. Just how I like it. The other two may complain but they’ll get used to it. Especially Selene, she should be fine. Jason looked at the gold coin in his hand and felt the other coins in his pouch. But christ it was nice having money.